Slumping Celtics Players Who Need to Step Up

There's been more good than bad for the Boston Celtics so far, especially considering they've had to cover for the absence of Kemba Walker.

Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown are either auditioning to become the NBA's next great duo, or they've already earned the part. Marcus Smart is suddenly a three-point sniper. Tristan Thompson has added toughness and tenacity to the frontcourt. Payton Pritchard could be the early favorite for the steal of the 2020 draft.

Saying all that, the Shamrocks haven't been perfect. The following three players in particular could be doing more to help this club.

Jeff Teague

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It's hard to be too harsh on Jeff Teague, since Walker's ongoing absence might've thrown more offensive responsibilities on Teague's shoulders than expected.

But that doesn't get the former All-Star off the hook entirely.

He's shooting a miserable 33.3 percent from the field. That's a problematic mark for anyone, but it's especially troubling for someone who's most valuable as a scorer.

He debuted with a 7-of-15 showing and went 4-of-5 in another contest. But in his other five outings with the Celtics, he's managed a minuscule five made field goals on 28 attempts. That's 17.9 percent for anyone uninterested in doing the math.

Daniel Theis

Darron Cummings/Associated Press

Boston's two-big lineup featuring Thompson and Daniel Theis has been an interesting way to navigate around Walker's absence.

But while Thompson's box scores have jumped off the page, Theis' have barely made a peep. Granted, it's not like the Celtics look first to him for production, but still—7.1 points and 4.3 rebounds a night isn't cutting it.

While his supporters might counter that his impact extends beyond the stat sheet, that just hasn't been the case this season. In fact, among all of Boston's rotation regulars, Theis ranks dead last in net differential. The Celtics have fared a gargantuan 19.7 points worse per 100 possessions with him than without.

The center spot will be a position to watch for the Celtics all season. Right now, Thompson looks the most trustworthy in the middle, and if Theis can't find his form, he's at risk of being leapfrogged by Robert Williams III.

Aaron Nesmith

Chris O'Meara/Associated Press

Rookie first-rounder Aaron Nesmith has failed to secure a regular rotation gig. Celtics coach Brad Stevens said the numbers game is working against the freshman.

"You can only play five guys at a time," Stevens told reporters. "We've got several guys that are high-minute players at his position. Very often it's hard to crack when you're in an eight- or nine-man rotation."

All of that is true, and yet there should've been minutes available to Nesmith—but only if he proved ready for them. Clearly, that isn't the case.

He's been skipped over in five of the club's first eight games. During the three he's played, he's shot just 2-of-9 from beyond the arc (22.2 percent). Since that's supposed to be his specialty, there's really no rush to play him. But the Celtics aren't exactly swimming with volume-plus-efficiency outside shooters—especially if Smart, a career 32 percent shooter outside, ever cools off—so they could've used Nesmith if he was on top of his game.

All stats courtesy of NBA.com and Basketball Reference unless otherwise noted.